It's Okay, Mac
by awesomebooks
Summary: Mac, after calling off his wedding with Christine, dives into work again. He is content but, as he develops a friendship with a new coworker, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between his mind and heart. Could he really be capable of truly loving another again? Could he truly open himself up so completely to another again, without the fear of getting himself hurt again?
1. Pro

Prologue

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Christine and her company, actually for a time he had thought he had been in love with her. For crying out loud, they had been engaged. However, as time went on, and they began to plan their wedding, Mac realized that he really wasn't in love with Christine as he was with the idea of being in love and not being alone.

His palms were sweating as he picked up his cell phone apprehensively and dialed Christine's number. As the phone rang, he settled himself down and sipped from a glass of water to quench the dryness in his throat. _Why'd I let it go this far? I always said I'd be careful at this kind of thing, and I completely jumped the gun… I don't want to hurt-_ His train of thought was cut off by Christine answering on the other end of the line, "Hey." She sounded cheery, as he'd of expected, and welcoming. It took all that he could to keep his voice normal.

"Hey… Uh… Can we..Uh…maybe…" He didn't know how to say what he wanted to, but this was something that had to be done or they'd pay for it later on down the road. "Can we meet up somewhere? Maybe I can take you to lunch or something?"

"That'd be nice, when?" She obviously didn't seem to sense the nerves in his tone.

"20 minutes. See ya then."

"Ok, I love you." Mac hung the phone up quickly, pretending he hadn't been on the line when she'd said the last part of the conversation. This wasn't supposed to have happened.

On the way over to Christine's, Mac turned the radio off in his vehicle to better think. _Why? I always take care of things at work, I have good judgment, I know myself, I don't understand how this ended up happening. This is the last thing I want to do._ He began talking out loud in the car, "Claire, I know you told me to be happy. I know that you're okay with me… moving on… And one day I might, but today isn't that day. I'm sorry if I'm letting you down, but I have to do what I feel is best for me." He pulled into Christine's driveway, and she was coming out the door at once. She had dressed up, obviously expecting a better time than what Mac had planned. She looked radiant, there was no denying that, and he knew it'd be hard to keep focused on the matter at hand rather than her skimpy but not slutty cocktail dress in a shade under black but not quite grey with pearls on as a necklace and earrings. She had her hair twisted atop her head and heavier makeup than she would usually wear.

"What's wrong?" Christine asked knowingly as Mac forced down a swig of coffee.

"Nothing." He lied,

"Tell me now, Mac." She demanded, biting into her club sandwich and smudging her lipstick ever so slightly. "You called out of the blue to take me to lunch, you don't want lunch, and you have hardly touched your coffee? What's up? I'm going to be your wife; I need to know these things." She offered a comforting smile, but Mac ignored her. _Did she really have to say that?_ He was driven even deeper into the pain after hearing her refer to herself as his future wife.

"Christine," Mac grasped her hand in the center of the table and connected to her eyes, "You're right, there is something wrong and I don't know how to say it."

"Just say it, Mac, you can tell me anything you should know that by now." She was so ready to help, so ready to be warm and comforting and sweet. He was about to break her, he was certain of it, which made him sick to his stomach not to mention feel like a major ass.

"Christine, you gotta know I care for you… Very much so. " She nodded, but not a word she spoke. He continued on shakily, letting his heart do the talking instead of trying to process logic through his mind or any way of making her feel better. Everything would have to be blunt, unfeeling, and brass, there wasn't any way around it and sugarcoating wouldn't do anything any good. "You're a beautiful woman, Christine, not to mention smart and kind and true, you're funny, you're…" He cut the chase, "You're a great woman, but," seeing in her eyes that something had changed and she knew the end result of this conversation wouldn't be a good one he kept talking, ignoring the tears in her eyes that began forming, "It's not that I don't care about, I do…. A lot… But I'm not ready to get married again."

"Mac, don't say that..." She started to beg, "You're scared, it's understandable, but don't throw away us… Don't throw me away like a-"

"I'm not throwing anything away," Mac tried to comfort, reaching across the table to stroke her cheek. "Don't get me wrong, Christine, you're a good friend and you'd make a great wife for someone out there…" He whispered the next part simply because he felt he must say it, even though it'd sting, "Just not for me." She was now crying fully, gasping for air and clenching onto napkins.

"You asked me to marry you! Mac, you asked me! You were certain that you loved me and wanted to be with me forever! Our wedding is in less than 10 months and you're dumping me? You said you were moving on from Claire and starting a future with me! What happened?"

"I do love you, just not as a wife. I'm sorry, I really am, and if I could find a way to make this any easier I would, but I cannot do that. Don't cry, please, I still care about you more than-"

"Shut up, Mac!" She yelled, causing many eyes to drift towards them. "Are you breaking up with me? You understand if you let me go, I am NEVER coming back to you!" She wasn't hurt and upset anymore, just mad and turning hostile.

"I'm sorry, Christine." His eyes pled her not to hold it against him; she stormed off, stopped slipping the ring off her finger and flung it at him harshly. The ring hit his right cheek and fell into his open palm. He shoved the jewelry into his pocket and took off out the door and down the sidewalks until he caught up with her. "Can I drive you home, at least?" He offered, panting.

"No, I'll take a cab. Get out of my life, Mac Taylor, I hate you!" She shoved Mac roughly with anger and disdain, a taxi pulling up right beside her to let out passengers, and Christine gladly took her place in the cab.

As Mac lay in bed that night, many confusing emotions washed over him. He was proud of himself; he had done the right thing. If he had married Christine all that would happen would be a bad marriage followed by a nasty divorce. Who knows how long it would've lasted, but by the time the divorce finalized he would probably be too old to think about dating and he'd be retiring soon and he'd of been lonely for his golden years. Claire was okay with him going on, he knew that, and maybe he wasn't totally okay with it yet. He needed more time, he knew, to actually think about the idea. Everything with Christine was so rushed; the case in which he had been inspired to propose to her had done that… Inspired him. Mac was in love with the idea of being in love again, not with Christine. Even though he knew Claire wouldn't mind him moving on, he wasn't even entirely sure he ever would. Only time would tell. He was hurting too, even though he wasn't _in_ love with Christine, he did love her. He didn't want to hurt her and he knew that when she got into that taxi cab earlier, he knew he'd likely never speak to her again. He wished the best for her, and for himself, but mostly he wished he could go back in time and change the way he'd gone about things… He'd of never proposed because within a couple weeks of doing so he had had his doubts, and as weeks turned into months he knew what a mistake he had made. _Oh well, at least I made things rights… _He tried to keep himself in a good mood, he'd have to be to work early tomorrow and he could feel another night of insomnia awaiting him.

A/N This is the prologue, I am not entirely sure where this story is going so hang in there with me. Hope you enjoy, reviews of any kind are much appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"I'm sorry Mac," Lindsay comforted the next morning, "But as a woman, I'm telling you, you did the right thing. No woman wants to, or should for that matter, be with a man who doesn't want to be with her. You hurt her, Mac, there's no getting around that, but I'm telling you, you did the right thing." Lucy pulled at her mother's shoulder, "Can you watch her for a bit? I hate to ask given the circumstances, but I have to go testify to the Jenkins case.

"Of course." He waved his hand and shook his head, he didn't mind babysitting, then turned to Lucy. "Well, it looks like my favorite little girl is going to be spending some time with me today?" Lucy nodded, "Come here and give Uncle Mac a hug!" She did just that, and Lindsay exited, mouthing 'thank you' as she hurried out. Mac hugged Lucy a bit longer than he normally would, but it was curing the ache in his heart. _Claire and I should've had kids._ He couldn't hold back the thought, he had always wanted children, but his job had gotten in the way and he and Claire were waiting for it to settle down into at least a little bit of a schedule, in fact, they were just about to start trying to have a baby when September 11th had occurred.

A couple of hours had passed, and Lucy was sitting in one of the chairs in Mac's office coloring in a coloring book as he completed some paperwork. Mac lifted his eyes, noticing a woman in professional dress, he didn't recognize her, and was surprised to see her knock on the door to his office, no one knocked around there. He waved her to come in,

"Hi, I'm-" Mac cut her off, recognizing her from a video chat meeting they'd had,

"You're my new investigator. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Bryan, I'm Mac Taylor." they shook hands, and then Mac was speaking businesslike "You don't need to report to work until tomorrow."

"I know, I just thought I'd familiarize myself with the place and the boss if you weren't busy, and you weren't… So I guess I'll be out now."

"Hi!" Lucy squealed to the lady,

"Hey there, Sweetie." The woman greeted warmly, she was obviously a mother or at the very least had the caretaker personality. She turned back to Mac, "You have an adorable daughter."

"Oh she's not min-"

"Uncle Mac, I need to go potty!" She screeched,

"Well, nice meeting you in person," They shook hands and she was out the door.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"You look tired, Boss." Danny said as Mac strode past him,

"Just tired, that's it, I'm back to not sleeping." He put it off quickly.

"Linds told me about you and Christine. Are you going to be alright?" Mac nodded, and Danny just offered him what he could, "Well, you know if you need anything at all, Lindsay and I would be more than willing to give you anything you need."

"I know, but that won't be necessary. Thank you though." He tried to move the topic of him off the table.

"I know it's rough, breakups always are." Danny tried to comfort, Mac responded in accidental bitterness,

"I lost a wife in 9/11, this is nothing." He shook it off easily, he was hurting, but it wasn't near as bad as he'd imagined. He corrected his behavior abruptly, "I'm sorry, I-"

"Did you see that chick that was strutting about, she was probably a little older than I and younger than you…" Danny changed the subject again after nodding that he accepted his boss's apology.

"Thanks." Mac smiled, ignoring the jab about his age.

"She was a pretty one…" Mac grinned at what Danny was insinuating,

"That she was," He admitted, "But I found out, there's nobody for me but Claire." He twisted his wedding band; he should've known his proposal to Christine would end badly when he couldn't bear to take off his wedding ring from Claire. "I thought I could move on, truly I did, but no… Claire's the only one for me and… I'm good with that. We'll be together again… Someday…" He shook his head, realizing how dreamlike and unprofessional he was getting, "Get back to work, Danny! You want to hear about my personal life, come over after work!" He shooed, and Danny laughed.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"What a first day for you." Mac joked with the new detective. "A drowning on top of the Statue of Liberty… this is gonna be a good one."

"Oh yes," Agreed the woman, "This is my first job ever, like this. Back home, I was a high school teacher-history. When the teaching jobs started to become a dime a dozen I had to find something else, and I was able to get this certification in criminal investigation in 2 years, my ex-husband didn't support it at all, but I had to find a way for me and my son-Cayden- to get by. I knew his dad wouldn't get anything to help us get by, and I wouldn't depend on that bastard for anything. Cheatin' son-of-a-bitch, I put up with a lot from him over the years, but I never would stand for that." She was raging, obviously she was comfortable talking and sharing her life with people, and Mac was enjoying the talking, though he wasn't sure how to reply and knew it wasn't a professional topic.

"I'm sorry about that. I understand how you're feeling though, not through experience, but I can imagine. This is a demanding job, I'm not going to lie, but it's very rewarding and never the same. How old is your boy?"

"Oh he's nearing 17, I had him when I was 19. He's a great kid, I'm so blessed and thankful for him. His dad and I were together from our junior year of high school until the bastard cheated. Cade-that's my nickname for my boy- he is thinking of being a cop, but I'm a worried mom and I don't want him doing this kind of stuff. He's so smart and wonderful, he'd be a great dad and husband and I don't want him putting himself in danger. I want him to find love and have a family and-"

"So… You don't want him to be a cop because of danger, yet here you are." He eyed her up and down, "I see you're not really a lead by example kind of mom." Mac smirked,

"I don't want to be in danger either," She was defensive suddenly, "My kid is my life, but when he leaves the nest next year I need something to keep myself occupied. I'm 36, I'm not going to find a man again and I'm too old to adopt some kids. I need a job that pays the bills, and I've always wanted to be in law enforcement, but was always too scared to actually try and get into it when I was younger. I'm excited and totally dedicated to work now, just not on my boy's birthday, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, my birthday… Well preferably no holidays but I understand-"

"This isn't the kind of job to have if you have to have a picky schedule." Mac warned gently, "I love it, but I wish I had more time at home." He was running through all the basic things on the body as he talked, "My late wife hated my job, and now I just wish I'd of taken some time off to be with her." He was quiet a moment, "I'm out of gloves, I'll have to pack some more in the kit when I get back to my office." He took his gloves off as the medics bagged the body of a middle aged businessman. "It's a hard job, but it's rewarding." He repeated, not quite sure why he was telling this lady so much of his personal life having only just met her, there was a silence for a moment, and the lady spoke softly,

"I'm sorry." Mac looked up, quizzically, "About your wife." She specified. Mac nodded.

The entire team was on lunch, it was a rarity that they all ate around the same time, but today they did, and the new detective was the center of attention. She stayed near Mac, she had been told that he'd become her partner- she had taken the place of his old one, Jo, after she'd moved to Alabama- and so she figured it'd be good to get to know him. "I always love a woman's hand around this place." Lindsay said, grabbing the woman's hand while bouncing Lucy on her knee, "It isn't easy keeping all these boys under control all by myself."

"Oh Baby, you know you wouldn't have it any other way." Danny grinned,

"No," Don disagreed, "You know we'd do fine without you, Linds," He was just offering a rebuttal to be disagreeing with her.

"We love Lindsay, she keeps these two knuckleheads in line," Mac motioned at Danny and Don, "Not to mention she does her job and she's very good at it, might I add." The whole team shared a laugh and Don was about to add some sarcastic remark when Mac glanced at the clock and announced, "Well, I'm out, there's work to be done and we shouldn't be around chatting when there are murderers running free, let's get to work." Some of the team members groaned as they had been having too much fun on their break, and some got up quickly. The new investigator, knowing Lindsay was good, followed her, but Mac was quick to bark at her, "Ms. Bryan, I want you to come with me!"

"Yes sir," The new addition to the team agreed, her voice shaking from her nerves. She gathered up her courage and her pride and got into step beside Mac. Mac could sense her nerves, he wouldn't have had to be a detective to figure out that this strong and motivated exterior she was putting on was a cover for a nervous-but still motivated- mom who wasn't quite sure what she was doing and needed a firm hand as her teacher. Mac knew his patience was something to be called into question, but he had trained many investigators in the past and every one of them had turned out to be the best that they could be,

"Calm down, I'm not going to bite you." He tried to comfort, but even with all of his years of working, talking, and dealing with people, he was still awkward when it came to first meetings and people that he wasn't so familiar with, "maybe bark a little, but I don't bite-unless you break the law."

"Detective Taylor, should I go to the lab or maybe run some errands you might have around the crime lab or..?"

"Follow me; we're going into my office." His voice was its usual flat tone, and he sensed as the woman's at his side nerves went even crazier than before.

"Detective Taylor, I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing!" She couldn't hide the panic in her tone, "I'm new to this, like I said I'm an ex- teacher. I am not making excuses, but please at least give me time before you have a problem with me. I'm sorry for whatever I did, please-"

"Ms. Bryan," He opened the door to his office, "Please sits down, and while you're at it, calm down!" She walked through the doorway and seated herself at a chair in front of his desk, and Mac settled himself in his chair. Once they were settled in, Mac couldn't do anything but notice her shaking leg and edginess, "For the last time, calm down." He smiled and added a light laugh for added comfort.

"I'm sorry Detective-" Her voice shook.

"Mac." He corrected, letting her know he was an equal to her and just because he was her boss didn't mean she should be nervous around him.

"Mac," His name was new in her mouth. She smiled, brushing some golden hair from in front of her eyes, and making eye contact with him- the first name made her much more comfortable. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but Mac cut her off before she could begin to form the sentence.

"I don't like formal titles in my lab, may I have your name so I don't have to keep addressing you as Ms. Bryan, Ms. Bryan." He grinned at the poor end of his sentence

"Allie." She answered, and Mac nodded, extending his hand,

"Nice to meet you, glad to have you here on the team. I know you'll be a great addition, and I have confidence in you."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"What was it like, Mom?" Cayden, a young man in his mid-teens asked his mother as she placed a plate of stir-fry in front of him. "To work in the New York City Crime Lab, one of the best in the nation? What's it like to be one of New York's _Finest?" _He stared at his mother wide-eyed, wanting her to explain every little detail. "What is your first case about? Have you even gotten a case yet? Did you get homicide or K9 unit? What are the names of your coworkers? What are they like? Oh yeah, you told me the other day you're a homicide detective, never mind that. Did you get to go to a crime scene today? Did you crack the case?" Mom did-"

"Cade!" Allie exclaimed, laughing a little, overwhelmed by his questions. "Calm down, one question at a time." She smiled, eyeing her son from across the table. His blue eyes that mirrored her own shone with excitement and admiration as he swiped an overgrown piece of medium brown wavy hair out of his eyes.

"Sorry, Mom." He laughed with her, realizing he had bombarded her with questions that there was no way she could answer at one time. "What was it like though? Tell me everything!" The young man spoke with enthusiasm and a look of attentiveness once she began to inform him,

"Well, it was different, it wasn't no high school classroom of smart mouth kids, I can tell you that much. Yes I went to a crime scene today, I processed it with a new colleague of mine-my boss actually- we checked for blood spatter, footprints, fingerprints, hairs, and fibers, anything that could assist us later on. My first case is a murder that appears to be a drowning at the top of the Statue of Liberty, and no, we did not solve it yet. This isn't like one of those crime shows we watch where the detectives get a case and solve it within a day or so, we could be working on this for months, maybe even years. Hopefully we'll find the person who did it soon, but you don't know. As for my coworkers, they seem like nice people. I mean, I ate lunch with all of the people I'll associate with the most today, but I haven't met _everyone _who works there. I'm taking over for a woman who left to go work in Alabama, therefore I filled her position and I will be working most frequently with my boss. He seems to be a good man, very dedicated to his job, very intelligent, he has good ideas, and is a quick thinker, I don't know him that well yet, but I think I'm going to like working with him a lot-Detective Taylor- he's hiding something I know it, but once we work together I might figure him out better, like I said he's a good guy I can tell."

"Detective Taylor?" Cayden's voice rose in bliss and disbelief, "As in Mac? Ex-military, dedicated NYPD officer, decorated detective and Marine, and head of the crime lab?" Allie nodded; she wasn't sure why her son was so enthralled by this news. "Mom, that's great!" Now a new set of sentences, "Oh Mom, can I come to the office? Can I meet him? He's like one of the best- actually New York calls him a hero… He is the best in New York, probably the country, can I pleaseeeee meet him?" She looked at Cayden perplexed,

"Cade, do tell me how it is you know more about my coworkers than me?"

"Newspapers, Internet, research, interviews with police officers, you know I study up for this Mom, and this kind of thing _is _my future." Allie sighed, _yes I know. _She thought, _Why couldn't you be a lawyer though, that way you're still getting the bad guys. Why a cop? Why endanger yourself? And risk it, especially in New York City. _She changed the subject,

"The Messers are good people, I work with them too. I haven't gotten to know much about the husband-Danny- yet, but his wife- Lindsay- showed me around a little and I hung around her for a portion of the day. I can tell we'll be close, she knows her shit, she loves her job, she's sweet as can be, but apparently if you scorn her or she's in pursuit of a criminal she has a rage and will stop at nothing to get answers. They have a little girl- Lucy- who comes to the lab sometimes. I met her, she is so cute. Um…" She thought a moment, "The former medical examiner. the African American man, is very smart and kindhearted, he seemed a little quieter than the rest, but when he spoke it was generally something smart or funny. I liked him. The current medical examiner is older, but quite the card. Let me tell you, I've only just met him, but I bet he's one of the main contributors to the brightening of these people's day. He is so unique and really marches to the beat of his own drum I like him too, he knows his stuff, but he is super funny and has unique interests."

"They all sound great, Mom." Cayden said through a mouthful of food, "Tell me more, please, about Detective Mac Taylor. He's like the best! I can't believe my mom works with him." His eyes were bright, and shone at his mother, begging her to speak. She sighed; this was going to be a good night for mother and son bonding, but also one that would fascinate her son and make him dive even more into the interest of police work than he already was.

A/N Thanks for the reviews, I love hearing what you guys think! It makes my day to know that someone actually reads my writing and enjoys it! Thanks for reading, despite my random postings. As always, I appreciate knowing what you think. Thank you JJ


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

She rolled over in her bed, throwing blankets off her and scrambling to reach her cell phone on the nightstand. _4:30? Who'd be texting at this hour? _She grabbed the phone and read the message from Mac, summoning her to another crime scene. She got out of bed, dressed quickly, threw her hair up in a messy bun, wrote Cayden a simple letter that read- _Cade, Got called in to work this morning at 4:30. Be careful driving. Text me when you get to school. Sorry I had to work. Have a good day, Love you. Mom._

"First the Statue of Liberty and now the Empire State Building?" Allie questioned, "Two drowning's in two nights on top of two separate buildings that are both iconic to New York? Coincidence- I think not." She was half asleep, but her mind was not altered as she drew her hypothesis together aloud to Mac and Flack.

"Neither do I." Mac agreed, "We just need to figure out how their connected, and who the killer is. Do we have an ID?"

"Shin Yang- 45 year old businessman of Asian descent."

"Last night's vic was Spencer Yeats- he was 45 as well, and was Caucasian. He was also a businessman. What do these two have in common-their age, profession, and sex." Mac asked and answered, more to himself, but was willing to take suggestions from anyone who would give an opinion or thought that could offer more of an explanation.

"Company that they worked for maybe?" The newbie offered " Do they work for the same company or not?"

"What do they work for- either together or not- what interest does this killer like-or not like rather- and could that of made him kill the vics?" Flack gave a rather long idea that was unusual for him.

"Lindsay, what should I do now? I'm stuck and I am tired and I didn't watch my boy go to school in this big city, and my mind is working overboard, I don't know what this fiber is made of. I've analyzed it multiple times over and I have no idea!" Allie's hands pulled at her cheeks and rubbed her eyes, she knew she was being rather fussy and that would have to stop, but this job would also take some getting used to.

"Oh, let me see." Lindsay motioned for her to move away from the microscope, and she did. "Oh," her face scrunched as she adjusted the microscope, "That is rather odd, I'm not exactly sure."

"It's a plant." Allie offered the little bit of certainty.

"That it is," Lindsay confirmed, "Um, my husband or Hawkes will probably have the book. Go find one of them and ask for it."

"Okay," She seemed eager, but still like a frightened teenager trying to fit in. "What's the book called, though?"

"Just ask for the big book of everything, either will know what you mean."

"Ok…" She stammered, trying to remember something but failing and asking Lindsay, "I'm sorry, this is so new for me, and there are so many people in this lab. I just met at least 50 people yesterday; your husband is the blond with glasses, right? He ate lunch with us yesterday, and he and Don were talking about a lab without you?"

"Yes that's him, Danny Messer. You probably will be able to hear him when you get within a 50 foot radius of him, his loud Italian accent blabbering away with someone, he's a good guy."

"Alright." She nodded, "And the other man, I don't recall meeting him." She hinted softly,

"Hawkes," Lindsay repeated his name, "He's about 5'8 or 9, African American, he has a nice smile, and is usually pretty quiet. He's a former surgeon and forensic pathologist. He's a ver kindhearted guy."

"Thanks," She gave a warm smile, and headed meekly toward the door.

"Sweetie," Lindsay called, and the older woman turned and acknowledged her with a smile,

"Seems I should be calling you that, you are way younger than I." Lindsay could tell she was trying to be funny and complimentary, so she returned the smile.

"As I was saying," Lindsay pulled her hair out of her eyes, "You really don't need to be so nervous." She turned the topic, "Here, I'll go find them, you come with me."

They found the book with Danny and were able to conclude that the plant was exotic and from a tropical area, but nothing more.

"Come with me," Mac commanded meeting Allie in the hallway as he stepped out of the elevator. She looked at him, submerging her nerves.

"Where to, Sir?" She asked, standing upright to exude confidence.

"To the Avalanche, I came to find you. We need to go back to the scene." He glanced at her and smiled, trying to calm her more, she noticed the gesture. "I told you, don't call me sir." He laughed, then added, "Don't worry, you're fine." Something about his shy almost smile made her comfortable, despite her nerves.

The ride back to the crime scene started out quiet, but after a few minutes Mac spoke up, "You're doing fantastic."

"What?" She glanced to him, "I'm sorry, my son just texted me and I was answering him. We aren't from New York; it's scary for the both of us." Mac stifled a laugh

"You're a fantastic addition to the team. I'm glad you're here." He stated, pressing slowly on the break, seeing that they were coming into dense traffic.

"Thank you." She nodded, "It means a lot. I'm trying my best."

"Well," Mac hesitated, "There's the compliment, now I have to say this." He glanced to her quickly to make sure she was paying attention, she was and fear was evident in her steel blue eyes. "I can tell you'll be excellent in the future. You're good now, I know with more adjustment you'll be superb, "But, it's been three days, you need to let go of your nerves about working here… If the nerves keep up, it's going to be hard to keep a job here, so calm down. Just keep doing what you're doing- without the anxiety- I thought it would slide, but now it's to a point where I must say something. Just know that so far, the work you've done has been very good, and I am truly impressed."

"Thank you Detective-" She caught herself, "Thank you, Mac." Stopped at a red light, Mac turned and connected to her eyes, "Good job!" He laughed, "It's a start." There was a silence for a few minutes, then Mac started conversation, sensing she was the kind of woman who needed to be made comfortable to unwind, "So, why don't you brag about your son to me?" He invited, and the smile she returned him was one that was shared between familiar friends. The ice had officially been broken.

A/N Sorry its taking awhile to update. I may or may not have mentioned it before, but I have a goal with my best friend to write some original stuff before the end of the month so I am not focusing on fanfics right now. Thanks for reading, hope that you're enjoying it as much as I do writing it. As always, reviews are great- they let me know how I am doing and what I do well and not so well. Thanks :)


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The scene had been seemingly untouched since their previous visit. "So…" Allie trailed, trying to take control of the situation and grow a backbone, "You want to do blood stains or fibers or what? I'll do anything you don't want." Mac smirked as Flack and Danny walked into the scene.

"You're going to do blood spatter." He instructed, "Don and Danny are _going _to do the rest." he glanced in the two younger mens direction, "You hear that?" Don and Danny grunted a laugh and both replied in separate forms of 'yes.'

"I'm going to watch you, as to see how you process alone. I will not tell you anything, simply observe." He leaned in a little closer to whisper in her ear, "You'll probably end up doing the boy's share too. Personally, I think it'd be smarter to assign a pair of apes to a crime scene than put these two at the same scene." The two shared a light chuckle before Allie began to study the blood spatter on the floor and wall of the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building as Mac stood watching, his arms crossed.

"This particular stain looks like a linear pattern." Allie stated, making notes of her observation in her notebook, "Meaning the murderer stabbed the vic."

"Mhm." Mac agreed, "Notice anything else peculiar," Mac asked, raising his eyebrows, "I notice something that conflicts with the theory of stabbing." He quickly added something-mainly to make sure she stayed confident of her findings, "Yes, I believe the vic was stabbed too, but I see something else that is contradicting that, or at least misleading us." Allie looked around and studied the area a bit more. _Blood is blood. _She couldn't push the thought back of her mind. She remembered when she was a teacher and had been teaching a criminal case in her history class. _I got so irritated when Danielle Franks said it didn't matter how they'd come to the conclusion the man died. She said he was dead and quit breathing. End of story. _Looking back now it made her smile, but also made her determined to find out what Mac wanted her to find. She had scolded Danielle that if it had been someone special to her she wouldn't say that. _The vic was someone's son, friend, husband or father maybe, brother… Someone does care and wants answers. This thing Mac has in his mind that I need to find, this could be the difference between a murderer being locked up for the rest of his days or walking free. I can find it, whatever it is. _She stood back, and stood beside Mac-her head lining up just at his shoulder. "Do you-"

"Shhh Detec-" She looked up to see Mac eyeing her, "Shh, Mac, I'm going to find whatever it is, but just… Give me a minute." He smiled slightly,

"Good, I like your determination." He stood stoically; smile now flat and watching Allie, he could practically see the gears in her mind turning. "It's okay, take your time." He comforted, he knew in time she'd need to get faster-and he knew she would- but this first time alone, he just wanted to watch and see how long it took her and how she thought alone.

"Oh my gosh!" Allie's hand flew to her mouth, much like an overly excited teenager. "The blood spatter!" Mac smirked, of all the people who'd he'd supervised and trained over the years, he had never seen anyone get that excited over a new piece of evidence. "The spatter on over here is linear-suggesting a stabbing." She repeated what she'd discovered earlier, "However, here the blood pattern looks like a thin mist- suggesting a gunshot."

"Well done!" Mac allowed his voice to show happiness and pride of the achievement of his new team member. "That is exactly what I wanted you to find."

"I can't believe I just did that!" She was breathing heavy and smiling ear to ear, then suddenly her expression turned serious, "Mac, this just got a lot more complicated."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

"Mac,"

"Yeah" he asked, his eyes drifting from the road in front of him ti his new coworker. Then his hands squeezed the steering wheel a little tighter and refocused his eyes on the road.

"Cayden, he… I already told you he wants to be a cop."

"yes." He said, his trailing led her to say the rest of the sentence,

"Well, I didn't know this until last night; you're kind of his… Oh I don't know how to say it…" She paused, then concluded, "_Idol._" Her voice took on a squeaky hint. Mac grinned,

"That's something new. I don't think I've ever gotten that before;"

"He… It would mean a lot to him if you could… If he… He really wants to meet you. It'd be like a dream come true for him and…Well I'm a mom, I want to make my son happy and if its as easy as asking my boss for 5 minutes to talk to my son then I'll do it .So would you mind talking to him a bit?" Mac's grin grew-amusement evident,

"Sure, anytime." He looked out the window, "Hey, there's a little coffee shop down this road, I'm going to go in and get some, do you want any?"

"Oh yes, that sounds very good right now." She smiled, "Do they have doughnuts too? We could prove the cop stereotype." She tried to joke, and saw a smirk escaped Mac's flat lips and she was almost certain they curved upward a minute.

"How do you take you coffee?" Mac asked, standing outside of the Avalanche with the driver's side door open.

"Oh, um just a little creamer, thank you. Here's the money," She grabbed her purse and started to open her wallet,

"Please," Mac rolled his eyes, "I'm buying, don't worry about it, just stay here and I'll be back in a few minutes." He slammed the door and walked into the café. Allie was glad he was gone, she could feel her cheeks turning red as a tomato. She didn't know why she was blushing. _That was kind of him. It's been so long since someone has bought me a drink-even if it only is just coffee. _

_ "_Thank you!" Allie exclaimed as Mac handed her cup of coffee. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a long sip. "It's delicious." She exaggerated the "mmmmm"

"You're welcome. This is the best coffee you'll have in your lifetime." Mac stated,

"Really?" She scrunched her face and observed the cup, "Why do you say that? It doesn't taste any different."

"You have to drink it all, when you get to the last couple of swigs, you'll see what I mean." He raised his eyebrows, and Allie rolled her eyes with a sarcastic,

"Sure… I'll believe it when it's proven to me."

"Okay, so, when we get back to the lab, I want you to go find Lindsay and give her those fibers we found. Then I want you to go talk to Hawkes and tell him about the two separate blood spatter patterns, tell him to go to reconstruction and test weapons. I'm going to go talk to Dr. Hammerback and see if his findings on the body are consistent with the blood spatter that _you _discovered." Allie could feel herself blushing, she knew her had empathized the word 'you' to make her feel good, but she couldn't resist smiling like a child who has just learned their alphabet.

"Okay, will do. Should I do anything specific after that?" She asked, back to business tone and determination to solve the case and do well in this new career.

"Come find me. I'll either be in my office or the ME's office." Allie nodded, and after a few moments of silence, Mac commented, "So…" A hint of suspicion was in his voice, "How does your son…How am I his idol?" He reworded his sentence quickly, stifling a low chuckle.

"I don't know." She laughed more loudly than what was actually necessary. "He wants to be a police officer, and I guess he studies up on it. He told me he's read newspaper clippings and interviews, and online things, and NYPD stuff… I don't know… He said that you were," She lowered her voice to imitate her son and-setting her coffee in the cup holder- threw her hands in the air, "Like the best!" She smiled, "That's not to say you're not, just…." Before she could explain herself, Mac was already laughing.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say that much… I like to think I'm pretty good at what I do. It's quite an honor to hear that though.

The two made small talk for about fifteen more minutes before Mac pulled the Avalanche into the parking garage of the crime lab. Allie grabbed her coffee, and guzzled the last drops of it. "Oh my gosh!" Allie exclaimed, "This is amazing!" Mac grinned, "You're right, Mac! This coffee is the _best_!"

"I told you so." He joked. Each of them threw their cups away before entering the lab.

"We are certainly going to be stopping at that place again!" She ran her tongue around her mouth, tasting the bitter taste of coffee- that somehow managed to be sweet at the same time. She couldn't describe the difference, but she certainly could taste it, "It's like it's so much stronger than average-the bean that is!" She said as they walked in the doors, Mac smiled, a low laugh threatening to escape his mouth,

"Glad you like it, my former partners didn't care for it too much. I always had to take them to Starbucks or somewhere else-they're good but they're nothing compared to this place."

"I'm paying next time, though." Allie promised, as the two split ways to continue their work day.

A/N As always, thanks for reading. I love reviews-of any kind! They let me know how I'm doing! Thank you for being so loyal and dealing with my slow updates. I'm sorry, I'm just so busy right now! I really do love this story, and all of my readers, and hope you love reading it as much as I love writing it. :)


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"Lindsay," Allie said, walking into the room where Lindsay stood-bent over looking through a microscope. Lindsay stood up, and accepted the bagged fibers from her superior.

"Thanks, this must be from the crime scene? I thought my husband was there?" Her voice didn't hide the question she had,

"He was, Detec-Mac wanted me to go with him. Danny and Flack were there too." Lindsay nodded and smiled, "Good thing you and Mac were there… Those two together…" She shrugged her shoulder, and both women laughed. "I need to go find Hawkes, Mac or I will check on those fibers later." She smiled, then turned as if to walk away, and Lindsay went back to work at the microscope. Before leaving the room, however, Allie stopped herself, "Oh, Lindsay," she said and came back to stand in front of Lindsay.

"Yeah?" Lindsay asked, her eyes lowering to meet the other woman's on her level.

"Congratulations, babies-as you know- are such a blessing." She pointed to Lindsay's noticeable baby bump with her eyes. Lindsay smiled, and blushed despite her efforts not to.

"Thank you!" She couldn't hide the bliss she had inside. "It's a boy." She couldn't resist but brag, "Danny is so happy, he's always wanted a son." It was Allie's turn to wear an excited grin. She wrapped her arms around herself,

"Little boys are…" She hesitated a moment, then laughed, "A lot of work." It was clear she was replaying a memory in her mind, due to the long pause, "But they are so much fun and-obviously- you'll be totally in love with him as soon as he is born." Lindsay's hand navigated to her belly-as if to protect the baby inside.

"I already am." She giggled,

"Of course you are" Allie echoed Lindsay's laughter. "Well," She forced the laughter to cease, "I guess we aren't being paid to stand around and talk about babies, I guess I _should _go find Hawkes and refer the information Mac and I found to him. See you around, Lindsay."

"Oh, uh, are you…" Allie turned and listened to Lindsay, "Thanks again, I'm really excited. Can I… Do you li-" Lindsay stopped her sentence midway through and wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"I love hugs." Allie said, accepting Lindsay in her own arms, "You've wanted to talk about this for a while, haven't you?" Lindsay nodded,

"So many guys work here. I haven't had a woman to talk to in so long," She stopped, "Would you and your son like to come to dinner at our apartment Friday night? We sometimes do this-as a team- go do little things together outside of work. We're going to try to get the rest of the team to come too."

"Oh thank you, but I wouldn't want to impo-"

"We'd love to have both of you there." She smiled,

"Okay, we'll be there." Allie agreed, knowing that Cayden wouldn't mind at all. _How will Cade react to being with all these people he-apparently-idolizes so much? _Allie wondered to herself. _Guess I'll find out. _

"Two blood spatter patterns?" Hawkes asked, raising his eyebrows. "Was this at the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building?"

"Empire State Building," Allie responded, "Wh-" She stopped the question before it could come out, noticing that both she and Hawkes were seemingly gazing at nothing. He must've noticed it too,

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked.

"These two cases are really similar." Allie started, making motions with her hands as she spoke, "However a stab wound _and_ a gunshot wound… That's unique. We didn't check at the Statue of Liberty yet, but if the blood spatter there matches the contradicting blood spatter found at the Statue of Liberty, then that's almost like a signature. Then we'd know-with very little doubt- that the killer was the same person."

"Exactly!" Hawkes agreed, touching his finger to his chin with one hand and setting some papers down on a counter with the other, "But, what if that's just a coincidence?"

"Nothing is coincidence." Allie stated, shaking her head,

"You've only been here a short time, and you're already sounding like Mac." Hawkes joked, she just grinned,

"In crime, there is never conscience or chance."

"Anyways," Hawkes moved on, getting back on topic, "Maybe the vic from the Empire State Building just happened to have been stabbed and shot? What if they're unrelated? I'm not saying that the killer isn't the same person, but if you go back to the Statue of Liberty and don't find any contradicting blood spatter, then we need to accept it as a coincidence."

"I see what you're saying," She nodded slowly, thinking and trying to find out what she should say next. "Wouldn't the victims' bodies show the wounds and if they were fatal or not?"

"Yeah…" His voice trailed, "They would, but you would need to talk with the medical examiner for that. I would love to help you there, I used to be the medical examiner here, but I'm afraid all I can do now is give you my advice." He stopped a moment, and Allie took advantage of it to ask questions,

"Can I go down to alone?"

"Of course, just be prepared, he loves to talk."

"I saw that day at break."

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet, wait until he finds something major out about a case." She forced a laugh, and Hawkes noticed her hands fidgeting and somewhat slowed and shorter sentences. When she started pulling on the ends of hair, swirling the golden locks out of nervousness, Hawkes was certain of what he had been sensing for a few moments now, "You okay, Allie?"

"Mhm." She nodded, rubbing her right hand up and down her left arm,

"You're nervous?"

"A little." She admitted.

"Is it the dead body? Is that what you're nervous of, going down there and seeing a dead body?" Hawkes was trying to comfort her, but he wasn't on the same page she was. "It'll be weird, your first couple of times, but once you get used to it, it's nothing. With all respect, homicide isn't the unit to be in if you don't want to be around dead people." His bright smile somehow seemed to calm her a little, the way he said it had amused her.

"It's not the dead people, they don't bother me." She said on a more serious note, "Besides, I've already experienced playing with the dead… It's just… Oh.. I'm not sure, I guess just… My stomach just feels fluttery."

"It's normal, a lot of people have problems adjusting, and you'll be fine. Let me tell you a story. He sat on a stool by the counter and motioned for her to sit on another one, and she did. "I used to be a surgeon in a hospital; I left because I couldn't stand not being able to save people. When one of my patients died I… I felt like I could've done something about it. That's why I became a medical examiner, if someone died before I felt it was their time, I could find out why and bring closure to their family. Now, I was well experienced with death and all that, but the first few people I had to cut into… It was surreal." He was slowing his speech now, trying to remember the details. "I think I was a little jumpy about it for the first few weeks, and I know I cried a lot to about it, I knew it was the right thing, but it's not exactly something most people are used to…So trust me, it'll be okay. Do you want me to escort you down there?"

"No, I'll be fine." She promised, standing and exiting the room, "Floor 6, right?" She asked, and Hawkes affirmed the statement.

"Mac!"Allie jumped as the elevator door opened, "I was just going down to ask Dr. Hammerback a question."

"Well, come in, we'll go together, I just came from there. I'll go with you because I needed to find you anyways."

When they walked into the medical examiner's office, it was a weird feeling for Allie. The air was cold and smelled wet and almost musty. The vaults that the bodies were stored in caught her eye, but it didn't bother her. The eeriness she'd expected was there, but it wasn't as strong as she'd thought it'd of been. "Um…" She tried to talk noticing the taller and older man she'd only met once, but had heard so much about, across the room, "Um, Dr. Hammerback," he turned around.

"Hi, I'm sorry, I'm afraid your name has mistaken me," He made his way to the duo, and extended his hand again to shake her hand. She accepted his hand, and opened her mouth to speak, but Mac began to speak for her,

"This is my new investigator-Allie Bryan- she had a couple of questions for you."

"Oh?" He was interested, and broke his glasses apart at his neck, then put them back together in front of his eyes,

"Nice glasses, Dr. Hammerback." Allie laughed,

"Thank you, they're very nice. My wife has told me they were stupid for years, but I find them rather convenient and I refuse to buy another frame. I actually saw a thing on television where a guy had them on while in the middle of a threesome and the ladies apparently-"

"Sid," Mac interrupted, "Our new investigator had some questions for you." He had to refocus the older man's attention.

"Oh yeah, that's right. What was it you wanted to ask, Young Lady?" He directed the question to her.

"Oh it's been awhile since I've been called that... It isn't so often you're called that at 36." She refocused herself when she noticed Mac eyeing her, as if to tell her to hurry up. "Anyways, our victims-Shin Yang and Spencer Yeats- do they have a cause of death yet?"

"Well, I did do a pre-examination, on Mr. Yeats; I haven't gotten to Mr. Yang yet. He's actually scheduled for right after you guys leave. Is there something I should be looking for?"

"Yes," Allie practically screamed, Mac smiled to himself. "Mac and I went back to the Empire State Building this morning-when Shin Yang was murdered. When we looked at the blood spatter, there were two different patterns." Sid raised his eyebrows,

"Interesting," Allie kept talking, ignoring his comments he made along the way,

"One pattern led me to believe that COD would be due to a gunshot, however, opposite that spatter was a blood pattern that looked like a stabbing had taken place."

"So I should be looking for gunshot any stab wounds?"

"If you would, but Mac and I Haven't looked at the Statue of Liberty yet. I'm thinking that it might be a signature of sorts, but I'm not sure. So could you check Spencer too, please?"

"Of course." He glanced at her-beaming- and then too Mac-stoic but his eyes shining- "You're a good teacher Mac."

"No, she's just a great investigator."

"I'll agree to that, even if she did just make my job a whole lot harder."

"you know you like a puzzle." Mac threw back at him.

"Mac, is there anything else I need to do around here? If not, I'm going to the Statue of Liberty."

"No," Mac's voice had surprise in it that he couldn't disguise, "Let's go."

"You know, I'm very proud of you. It's only been a few days, but you're a great investigator." Mac praised Allie as he drove the Avalanche to the Statue of Liberty. "I really am impressed with how you're adjusting so well to being in charge almost."

"I'm not in charge, you are, and I just do what you tell me to." She brushed off the compliment.

"Okay, that's true." Mac agreed, "You took over for Jo-who took over for my former partner Stella- and they were both longtime cops. Jo was even in the FBI. The position you're in is right beneath mine, both of them were second in charge of this lab, and now you are."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure,"

"Why'd you select me?" She was blunt about it, "I mean, I'm thankful you did, but why? I mean, I have no law enforcement background, I'm not from around here, I'm a single mom, I want to be picky about my schedule, I'm barely 5'0 tall and weigh 115 pounds-not a threatening profile-, my background is in education… I mean… I don't understand what qualifications and traits of mine made me be picked above so many other people who have so much more education and experience in this field. I went to a 2 year course to be an investigator to fulfill a dream I've had since I was a teenager."

"I selected you because you're determined and strong-willed. I liked that, and I could tell by your resume that no matter what, you would always make sure a case would be solved. I figured, after weighing your pros and cons against other candidates, that you had more determination and integrity than anyone with more experience. I just…" He was quiet as he tried to word his thoughts, "I had this feeling about you, that despite your lack of experience, you'd be a better fit for the team than anyone else. I hold integrity very high and-to be frank- I didn't see very good examples of integrity in any of the other candidate's applications. Experience, yes, but the traits and types of people I want working in my lab, no, you were most qualified based on that." He kept a flat tone the whole time, and Allie was at a loss for words.

"Thank you," She said after a short silence, "I am very honored to be here, and will not disappoint."

"I know." Allie wasn't sure how to take Mac's emotionless tone, but she was surprised when he changed the topic and sounded almost excited, "So, when do I get to meet my apparent number one fan?" She glanced at him a moment, a little perplexed, "Cayden." He clarified, and through the corner of his eye, he saw her normal smile turn to that of a proud mom once again.

A/N So I've been sick this weekend-and received a 'get well soon' tweet from SELA WARD on twitter- and had more time to write a longer chapter! I think I've finally got an idea of a plot, so my updates should be more frequent... So long as my teachers and professors chill out on the amount of homework they give lol. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like my story so far, and reviews are always appreciated. Thank you :)


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

His eyes shone, and he grinned ear to ear, his words coming out fast and excited, "Are you serious, Mom? I am going to get to meet Detective Taylor this week? Me, Cayden Bryan? Meeting Detective Taylor? No way? That's awesome, Mom!"

"He's really excited about it, too." Allie gave a motherly smile to Cayden, as she stood at the sink doing dishes and watched him do homework at the kitchen table.

"No way!" Cayden practically screamed. "Detective Mac Taylor? The Detective Taylor, excited to meet me?!" Allie nodded, "Oh Mom, what is he like? I need to know. I need to make him like me!" Cayden dropped the pencil he was doing his English homework with, and smacked his hands down on the table, "I need to know everything? What does he like? Dislike? Does he have kids? Why'd he go into the police force after leaving the Marines? Why'd he become a Marine in the first place? What does he like about being a cop? What doesn't he like about it? Oh, Mom, there's so much I need to know? When do I get to meet him?" His voice was more of an excited whine than a voice by this point.

"Cade, I don't know anything, he's my boss. He's a good guy, but I've not known him but a week… I don't know that much. You don't need to do anything, just be yourself."

"Okay fine," Cayden rushed her, "But _when _do I get to meet him?" Allie glanced to a calendar on the wall and found the day,

"Well, we're going to the Messer's house Sunday for dinner, you should meet him before then… How about tomorrow?" She smirked, knowing how Cayden would love to hear that, sure enough, he was out of his seat in no time and his arms wrapped around his mother.

"I'd love that!" He squeezed his mother around her waist and back, and rested his head on atop her head, "You're the best mom ever!" Allie had her arms around Cayden, _I'm so glad we're so close. I don't know how mamas can let their babies? I'm going to be a wreck when he graduates._

"Thanks, Cade, but I have the best kid I could ever ask for, that makes my job as a mom a lot easier."

"I love you, Mom." He nuzzled his chin on her head,

"I love you too, Kiddo."

"Can we watch some _Forensic Files _or something tonight, Mom?" Cayden asked, shoving his English book into his backpack and zipping it up.

"Yeah, you done with homework?" He nodded, "Have you showered yet?" He grinned a guilty look,  
"That's how I'm going to be able to tell if criminals are lying or not, my experience as a mom, go take a shower Cade! I'll finish up the dishes and take the dogs out, then we'll meet and watch some TV before bed."

"Sounds nice, Mom." With that Cade was already pulling his shirt off as he made his way down the hall and to the bathroom,

"Remember to throw your clothes _in_ the laundry, and not leave a trail down the hall." Allie called, and she heard a sigh come from down the little hall, before she saw Cayden come out of the bathroom and pick up his shit and socks he'd left in the hall.

Allie stared up at the New York skyline-buildings as far as the eye could see. The Statue of Liberty was visible from where she stood and she found herself recalling events from earlier in the day. _Mac and I found the same contradicting blood spatter markings in the Statue of Liberty. That means the killer is both stabbing and shooting his victims. Why? Why do both? Why not one or the other? These men have quite a few things in common, so the killer probably runs in the same circles of both Shin Yang and Spencer Yeats. According to Danny and Flack, the killer was sloppy and left evidence all over. This should be relatively open and shut. Danny was running the fingerprints when I left the lab… He should know who they belong to by morning… Maybe tomorrow we'll get a suspect. _She glanced at her watch, it was 7:30 at night, and beneath the city lights could easily pass for afternoon, despite the darkness that came with the season. The air was getting chilly,_ this is nothing like home. _She inwardly complained, _I got a good job, I have a place for Cade and I to live, I have Cade, and we're healthy and happy… But this isn't home. I'm not a city girl… I need to get back to the country. _"Come on," She yanked the leashes of the two dogs. The brown and white bulldog-Buddy- was seated beside her. He was 7 years old and very lazy, so much so that sometimes they couldn't get him to move off the couch to get a treat. The year old dog-a chocolate lab called Ducky- was jumping around and playing with a moth. Allie yanked the leash and led the two dogs back inside, where Cayden was already sitting on the couch waiting for her. "That was fast." She remarked, and Cayden laughed,

"I already miss watching TV together all night, Mom." Allie unhooked the dogs from their leashes and sat down beside her son, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch to cover up with. Cayden turned the TV on," Hey, Mom, it's what you do!" He exclaimed, seeing that the tv was on an episode of _CSI:Miami. _Allie rolled her eyes,

"I told you,Cade, my job is very different than Horatio and them. So much is dramatized and inaccurate to interest viewers."

"I know, Mom, but still…" His voice trailed off, and both the dogs jumped on the couch. Ducky licked Cayden and settled across his lap and the couch, and Buddy plopped down half on the couch and half on Allie's legs. "So… Is Detective Taylor going to be able to tell me about his education, life, and job, so that I can understand what my future may look like…." Allie sighed, and patted Buddy's head,

"I'm sure her could…"

A/N So there is another chapter! I am having such a great time writing this, and I just am loving writing it more and more as it gets further into the story! As always, let me know what you think if you're inclined. I always appreciate it very much. :)


End file.
